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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29115459">Heavenly Song You Shall Hear</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/melting_obelisks/pseuds/melting_obelisks'>melting_obelisks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>ASL GLOSS, Flower Crowns, Gay Panic, Link (Legend of Zelda) Uses Sign Language, M/M, Not Beta Read, Pre-Calamity (Legend of Zelda), Rito Village, Singing, because plot reasons lol, but i guess could talk if he wanted, but very poorly, goddess statue, made-up rito traditions, praying, religious angst, semi-realistic bird behavior</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:33:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,302</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29115459</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/melting_obelisks/pseuds/melting_obelisks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Link didn't pray very often. Revali didn't pray at all. So what happens when Revali catches Link singing to the Goddess statue?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Heavenly Song You Shall Hear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hey y'all, i've never put anything on here before so i hope you guys enjoy! first things first, this is based on the timeline from creating a champion/masterworks and not age of calamity. also, link signs in this because i love that headcanon, and this form of signing is based off of American Sign Language which i am most familiar with. whenever link says something, it will be written in gloss as to preserve the exact meaning of what he is saying, so i hope it doesn't get too confusing. also, this is very technical, but bear with me; link won't fingerspell words like "Hylian" because i'm assuming Hylian Sign Language would have those words built in. i won't take the liberty of actually creating these signs or any name signs as i am not a frequent ASL user, but assume they exist and are unique.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link didn't pray very often. After watching Zelda's fruitless attempts at awakening her divine power, it simply lost its appeal. Oh, he knew that being the Goddess' chosen one meant he should thank her, but what was there to thank her for? An endless stream of pressure? Putting such a heavy burden on his shoulders that he felt as though speaking aloud would cause him to collapse?<br/>
</p><p>Despite all that, Link was thankful that he got the sword. It was a constant presence to keep him company, even when he felt so desperately alone. The princess had asked him if he heard a voice from it, and, unfortunately, he wasn't sure. What would a sword's voice sound like exactly? And if it did speak to him, would he really know it? Link figured he <em>had</em> heard it before as he had felt something once, though he wasn't sure if calling it a voice would be perfectly accurate. It urged him to hurry; danger was coming. He wanted to warn Zelda, but knew that even if he could manage it, she wouldn't listen. She hated him. Everyone hated him.<br/>
-=+=-<br/>
</p><p>Revali didn't pray at all. He didn't see a point. If the Goddess was the one orchestrating everything, then why bother? She wouldn't listen to a single Rito, no matter how important that single Rito happened to be. She controlled life and death, and Revali controlled a bow and arrow. He was fine with it, if that was how it was meant to be, but he couldn't help feeling like he should contribute to the universe in some greater way. Being Champion would have to suffice.<br/>
</p><p>Every so often, after the previous flowers were close to wilting, every Rito in the village would choose a new one to be woven into a crown by the elder. Once complete, an individual would place the crown upon the Goddess statue's head. All the remaining flowers were strewn about, left to decay. All this symbolized the unity of the village, as well as showed their devotion to the Goddess. It was Revali's turn to carry the crown. The elder smiled as she placed it into his hands and said, "Gnarled trees do grow the most beautiful mistletoe, Revali. Remember that."<br/>
</p><p>Revali scoffed. The elder sounded as though she knew something he did not, and he wasn't exactly keen on being left out of things. Cryptic messages be damned, he started down the village, losing himself in thought.<br/>
-=+=-<br/>
</p><p>Link enjoyed Rito Village, with its light feel and (mostly) friendly residents. It felt like a second home. There was always beautiful music to be heard and always a good meal to be had. He was visiting again on the request of Zelda to check in with the general affairs of the village. It had been quite a hassle to convince her father that she would be fine without her knight by her side for a few days, and even when the king did give his good word, it was given very much begrudgingly. Link suspected Zelda just wanted to be rid of him, and it saddened him to think they may never end up as friends.<br/>
</p><p>The same went for a certain other Champion. Never good at introductions, Link had made his best attempt to come off cordially and polite. Despite this, Revali seemed angry with him for existing, an anger not easily smoothed over. Link figured Revali wouldn't understand Hylian Sign Language, so he didn't even try. If anything, it seemed that communicating with the Rito would only make matters worse, so he didn't.<br/>
</p><p>With a heavy heart, Link started up the bridges across Lake Totori, the water feeling miles below his feet. On the second island, a young Rito warrior stood tall and nodded as Link passed. He felt exhausted after his journey through the frontier. Coming from the Royal Ancient Lab required him to pass through the Breach of Demise, which always left him tasting ruin in his mouth, and the bone-like walls did nothing to ease his nerves. Something had happened to scar the earth so terribly–something divine yet unholy–but no one proposed what. Even Zelda with her quizzical mind kept silent.<br/>
</p><p>Link found himself in front of the Goddess statue at the base of the vertical village. Did she know of the creating of the Breach? Had she played a role in its making? He didn't think the Goddess would harm her earth in such a manner, and yet, who was to know the motivations of the divine? She was the one who chose Link, both ruining his life and fueling it. Perhaps the creation was a double-edged sword as well.<br/>
</p><p>And with that, he got down on his knees and began to pray for the first time in quite a while.<br/>
-=+=-<br/>
</p><p>Revali heard a faint voice coming from the direction of the Goddess statue. It sung in an ancient tongue, producing words unlike any he had heard before. The notes rose and fell, breezy and light. Revali paused before turning the corner. It felt as though he would only intrude if he continued forward, so he stopped and listened.<br/>
</p><p>He tried so hard to figure out who sang the hymn; he was certain no Rito had a voice like that. And by "that," Revali meant kind of bad. He knew it not to be the nicest thing to think about someone pious enough to sing to the statue, but he really couldn't help it. The scratchy voice almost couldn't scrape out the higher notes, notes any unpracticed Rito could hit with ease. So it wasn't a Rito singing, that much was clear. But then, who?<br/>
</p><p>A few Hylian travelers were staying at the inn, but Revali thought he had passed them all on his descent; the couple was looking at clothes and the lone woman was sitting on the landing, taking in all the sky had to offer. No Zora dared to travel as far as Rito Village during this time of year as the cold would prove too much to handle. No Gerudo dared to travel as far as Rito Village unless selling beautiful ruby jewelry to ward off the cold. And no Goron dared to travel as far as Rito Village, period.<br/>
</p><p>In conclusion, Revali postulated, an unannounced Hylian had arrived, but instead of greeting the elder in the customary manner, plopped down in front of the Goddess statue and started singing.<br/>
</p><p>Thinking of the elder reminded Revali that she had said something strange earlier–what was it again? Something with trees, that much was certain. Perhaps she knew something of the "surprise" visitor and he should have taken her statement as a warning. Although everything the elder said was slightly strange these days, he'd never heard her utter a more bizarre sentiment to anyone else.<br/>
</p><p>And that was the moment Revali said, "fuck it, none of this will matter anyway," and turned the corner. And suddenly, it all mattered much more than Revali could possibly have anticipated.<br/>
</p><p>The Hylian in front of the statue wore a brilliant, unmistakable hue of blue. He startled at the movement in the corner of his eye and snapped to attention, eyes locking with Revali's as he turned and stood. <em>Link,</em> Revali thought, <em>the voice belongs to Link.</em> Everything he had felt about the singing before dissipated. He struggled to recall what he had thought about it at all, let alone what it sounded like. Oh, how he wished to hear Link again, to mock his coarse tone and berate him for attempting to sing out of his pathetic range. If only he could remember those specifics. The knight shifted, bringing him back to the present.<br/>
</p><p>Link couldn't believe it. Revali, standing with a crown of flowers in hand, was not at the flight range. If he were to guess, he'd suppose him to spend most of his time there. In fact, he'd been counting on it in order to avoid any awkward confrontations, curt hellos at most. Too late for that.<br/>
</p><p>"So you do have vocal cords. Congratulations."<br/>
</p><p>Link simply nodded, shifting his gaze downwards. He wasn't sure if he should kneel or even bow. They were both technically of the same title: Champion; however, it felt odd not to do anything. Link elected to remain standing but inclined his head out of respect nonetheless.<br/>
</p><p>This earned a pointed glare from Revali, but he returned the gesture. "What are you doing in Rito Village? Come for some pointers?"<br/>
Link exhaled sharply and shook his head.<br/>
</p><p>"No? A pity, you could use them." No reaction. “Why are you here, then, if not to improve yourself? Was Zelda so desperate to be rid of you she sent you to check on me?”<br/>
</p><p>“NEVER TOPIC YOU,” Link signed, forgetting his earlier self-promise. He mentally smacked himself. Revali would have no idea what he said and would only mock him further.<br/>
</p><p>“Are you certain? I find myself the center of conversation quite often.”<br/>
</p><p>Link’s eyes widened and Revali fancied him to look rather like a keese, completely missing the reason for his shock. “What?”<br/>
</p><p>Link shook his head incredulously, eyebrows high. “#ALL YOU NEED SAY,” he asked.<br/>
</p><p>“Hmph. What I meant to say was: what are you confused about, hero?”<br/>
</p><p>"SIGN LANGUAGE HYLIAN ix-YOU UNDERSTAND ix-YOU qm-w."<br/>
</p><p>Revali turned his head to the side, eying Link all the while. "Don't look too much into it. I learned the basics from a Zora years ago, but it wasn't difficult and my memory serves me very well. You've made quite an impression on those of the domain, you know. However," he added quickly, "I'm not sure I could see why."<br/>
</p><p>Link scratched at the back of his neck. He had made an impression on people? He couldn't believe teaching Mipha to sign would cause such a chain reaction that Revali would end up on the receiving end. He began to laugh, full and hearty, baffling Revali beyond belief. Hadn't Link felt insulted? And hadn’t he felt flabbergasted only moments before? "What is it?"<br/>
</p><p>The look on Revali's face only made Link laugh harder. He started coughing profusely as Revali looked on in confused horror. "Are you–do you–" he started before Link held up his pointer finger, recovering from his bout. Revali shook his head, braids gently swaying behind him. "You," he began, not entirely sure where he was going with this, "are ridiculous."<br/>
</p><p>"YES. ix-I KNOW ix-I," Link signed, suddenly very serious again. Revali squinted at him, eyebrows furled. The wind pulled at the flowers in his hands and he clutched at them as though his life depended on it. Link cocked his head, "ix-YOU CONTINUE TALK WITH ix-ME WHY."<br/>
</p><p>"Because," he paused, squeezing at the crown further. "Because you're terribly unsuited for your job, and if no one else will tell you, then that responsibility falls to me."<br/>
Link frowned, avoiding eye contact, and Revali, emotions betraying him, felt guilty. He immediately scoffed at the thought: The Great Revali, feeling guilty after making a boy frown. Making him frown after telling him the truth, no less. It was preposterous to even entertain the notion. And yet.<br/>
</p><p>Revali suddenly became very flustered. He, honest to Hylia, could not say why, and the feathers at the base of his neck ruffled slightly. Link looked up. "YOU fs-O-K YOU." Damn it, he looked concerned. So much for subtlety.<br/>
</p><p>"Yes, I'm fine." The feathers bristled further. If Hylia had any sense of kindness, she would kill him on the spot. Surely she could arrange for a new Champion to take over. She could do that, right? Alas, the Goddess showed no such mercy, but Revali felt closer to the statue despite standing still. He quickly dismissed it; he just wanted to put the crown on its head already, which, he noted, would only be possible if Link moved out of the way. Pushing him was out of the question, yet Revali could not fathom why his brain created such a block. Perhaps it was the rigid, untouchable aura Link exuded, as though any who dared to stray too close would be struck by some powerful force.<br/>
</p><p>Despite knowing something was obviously wrong, Link wasn't certain of what to do. His time in Rito village had not been spent watching people. If Link hadn't felt worried about Revali, he would have found it funny how he fluffed up and his tail splayed, making him appear bigger than he really was.<br/>
</p><p>Revali began to speak but abruptly cleared his throat. He started again, “I need you to move.”<br/>
</p><p>“fs-O-K.” Revali took a step forward. “BUT NEED ix-YOU ASSURE ix-YOU FINE.”<br/>
</p><p>“Why? Don’t tell me you’re worried about me.”<br/>
</p><p>“SO-SO.”<br/>
</p><p>They stared at each other, one moment stretching, stretching, stretching into a lifetime. Link took a step towards Revali and–o Hylia! he had moved closer. The wind snatched at the crown once more, reminding Revali of his end goal, and he side-stepped past Link (who had conveniently moved out of the way), placed the crown on the statue, shot a glare, almost said something but thought better of it, thought better of thinking better of it, said, “your singing is terrible, you know,” and took off for the flight range, throwing in a few unnecessary loops and twirls. Link marvelled at the ease of flight, the way Revali commanded the winds and reigned over the sky. Ironically, his gale had blown the flower crown right off the statue, and Link stared at its dejected form on the ground. He hesitated before picking it up, unsure if it was his place to do so. He wondered at the implications of the crown, but placed it gingerly upon the statue nonetheless. Strangely, he felt more at peace than he had in quite some time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>wow, revali has a fuck-ton of dramatic pauses in his speech so i hope i captured that without making it too redundant. anyway, thank you so much for reading! there are some really good revalink fics on here that set a very high standard that i hope i was able to reach :)<br/>feedback is very much appreciated!! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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